Cominform - FOR UNITY OF THE WORKING CLASS

For a Lasting Peace, for a People’s Democracy! Organ of the Information Bureau of the Communist Parties. Belgrade No. 2 (5) Thursday, January 15, 1948.

FOR UNITY OF THE WORKING CLASS 

While American imperialism, trampling underfoot the freedom and national independence of the peoples is endeavouring in the post-war period to realise its plans of world conquest, the working class is coming forward, as it did in the war against fascism, as the most resolute and consistent champion of democracy, for the freedom and national sovereignty of their countries. Under the leadership of the Communist Parties the working class is organising and rallying all the democratic and patriotic forces of the country, mobilising them for the struggle against the reactionary imperialist designs. It is therefore not accidental that the imperialists and their agents in the camp of the right-wing Socialists are trying, above all, to bring about a split in the working class. 

The Communist Parties, equipped with the Declaration of the September conference held in Poland, are waging a stubborn and courageous struggle against the splitting intrigues of the imperialists who hope thus to weaken the democratic camp, and have won new successes in the drive to unite the working class. 

In Italy the movement for a people’s front of struggle for peace, in dependence and freedom, begun on the initiative of the Communist and Socialist Parties is gaining momentum. The unity of action of the two workers’ parties in Rumania, now about to merge forces, helped to transform the country into a sovereign People’s Republic. The December congress of the Polish Socialist Party, which favoured the further consolidation and broadening of the united front, closed with an impressive joint demonstration by the Polish Socialist Party and Polish Workers’ Party against the encroachments of the Anglo-American imperialists on the Western borders of Poland. 

In France the overwhelming majority of the working class, headed by the Communist Party, is energetically combating the intrigues of Blum and Jouhaux, who acting on the instructions of their American masters, are trying to spilt the trade unions. With the active participation of the United Socialist Party of Germany the movement for an All-German People’s Congress is spreading. This movement is directed against the Anglo-American plans to dismember and enslave Germany, plans which are zealously supported by Schumacher. The process of unification of the working class has made greatest headway in the countries of the new democracy, This is but natural. 

In the countries of the people’s democracy the unity of the working class crystallised and became consolidated in the struggle against the inveterate enemies of people’s power, who tried to inculcate hostility towards the Communists and the Soviet Union. The Arciszewskis, Petrescus, Peyers and Lulcheffs, who took an active part in the struggle of the fascist underground against the people’s democracy, who organised espionage and subversive activities, have been thrown overboard with the energetic support of the Socialist workers themselves. 

Complete unity of the working class has been effected in the popular fronts in Yugoslavia and more recently in Bulgaria, In the other countries Poland, Rumania, Hungary, Czechoslovakia—the bloc of Communists and Socialists is the cornerstone uniting the working class forces. A powerful trade union movement, based on unity and which constitutes a major factor for their development, has come to the fore in all the countries of the new democracy. In consolidating its ranks the working class has established a lasting alliance with the peasantry and intelligentsia: it is leading the people, is rebuilding political and economic life on the principles of genuine democracy and national sovereignty. On the basis of the growing unity of the working people, as reflected in the People’s Front and the blocs of the democratic parties, the Communist Parties in these countries have been able, in the struggle against reaction to rally the people for the economic rehabilitation and development of their countries. This ensures a steady improvement in the standard of living of the people. 

The unity of the working class and all people consolidates the people’s power, makes it possible successfully to defend sovereignty and independence against the inroads of the Anglo-American imperialists. Facts show that a decisive and consistent struggle against the overt and covert enemies of unity strengthens the united front. New traditions of joint struggle and labour are taking root, cementing the militant cooperation of hundreds of thousands of Communist and Socialist workers, gradually eliminating the old traditions of mutual mistrust, which for years had been sown by the bourgeoisie and their agents—the right-wing Socialists. By defending the united front and ridding themselves of the negative traditions of social-democracy, the Socialist Parties are strengthening their ranks. This is borne out by the role and importance of the Socialist Parties of Poland and Italy who although working under different conditions, are in practice exposing the legend of the Right Socialists that the united front allegedly weakens the Socialist Parties. The pre-conditions for the complete eradication of the influence of the bourgeoisie and their reactionary ideology in the working class, are being developed in conditions of the people’s power and the advance towards Socialism. 

The example of Rumania shows that close cooperation between the worker’s parties and their ideological rapprochement are leading to a merging of the worker’s parties on the basis of Marxism-Leninism. The struggle of the democratic camp against the imperialists compels the Socialist Parties to define their attitude towards this struggle, aggravates the differences among them. Bevin, Blum, Saragat and Schumacher are acting the role of American agents. They are trying to cover up their actual agreement with Schuman and de Gaulle in France, with Churchill in Britain, and de Gasperi in Italy by advancing the “theory” of the so-called third force. The right-wing Socialists who swear that they do not want to adhere to either of the two forces have long since chosen the camp of imperialist reaction, have become its diligent salesmen. 

There is nothing original about the third force “theory”. It is a refrain of the notorious “lesser evil” theory, by means of which the right-wing socialdemocrats paved the path to power for Hitler, prepared and then justified Munich, the precursor of World War II. The “theory” of the third force is but a thinly-disguised political trick, designed to facilitate the expansion of the American imperialists and their increasingly insolent interference in the home and foreign policy of the countries harnessed to the dollar by the Bevins and Blums. It is designed to “justify” the active participation of the right-wing Socialists in drawing up and carrying out new plans to plunder the people, to justify the split in the trade unions and the unbridled slander against the Soviet Union and the countries of the new democracy. The real meaning of the “third force” was made clear by the French “Socialist” Moch when he gave the order to open fire on the French strikers. It is obvious to genuine democrats and patriots that there can be no successful struggle against the imperialists unless the “theory” and practice of the notorious “third force” are vigorously combated. 

The provocative splitting role for which this “theory” is a cloak, is becoming increasingly clear to the democratic elements in all countries. The leaders of the Socialist Parties of Italy and Poland—Nenni and Cirankiewicz—in their reports to the congresses of their Parties, pointed out that the theory of the “third force” can benefit only the imperialists and called upon all sincere Socialists to join forces with the Communists against the imperialist “benefactors”. The ideas contained in the Declaration of the nine Communist Parties and experience of united action are meeting with ever greater response among the working people among all those who treasure the honour and independence of their country. 

Despite the treacherous activity of the rightwing Socialists the French workers demonstrated their unity and organisation in the recent strike struggle. They are not allowing themselves to be diverted by the manoeuvres of the right-wing leaders. Numerous trade union and Labour Party branches in Britain have denounced the antiCommunist witch-hunt organised by Bevin and Morgan Phillips. In the USA there is a growing opposition by the trade unions to the support accorded the “Marshall Plan” by the corrupt trade union leaders and to their assiduous attempts to split the European trade union movement. 

The Communist Parties, who recognise that “the efforts of all democratic and anti-imperialists forces of Europe are needed in order to disrupt the plan of imperialist aggression”, are the genuine champions of the unity of the working class and of an democratic forces. The Communist Parties of all countries are fully conscious that it is the historic task of the Communists to head the resistance to the American plan to enslave Europe, to boldly expose all the accomplices of American imperialism, to secure the unity of the working class.